Spill Containment Sumps for a Safe and Compliant Storage of Hazardous Materials
Hazardous Material Storage Requirements
The German Ordinance of Hazardous Substances and the related Technical Regulations for Hazardous Substances (TRGS) rule the responsible and safe handling of hazardous materials. Compliance with the legislation on the storage of hazardous substances is a relevant factor in the company structure.
An essential component is the identification and assessment of stored hazardous materials and the resulting choice of storage systems like, for example, PE sumps, steel sumps as well as the corresponding tools, e.g., filling and transport systems. Please keep also in mind that the employees of your company handling, in whatever form, hazardous substances shall receive regular instruction. Compliance with the legal requirements is an important point to avoid costs caused by staff shortages and environmental damage.
The need to use hazardous substances in the company has arisen, in already existing industrial facilities, only well after the construction of the new building, so that a structural solution of the hazardous material storage, for example, with a hazardous materials warehouse with a built-in secondary spill containment sump, would require extensive construction measures and, as a consequence, cause considerable costs.
But already existing storage facilities can often be adjusted to the individual situation in your company.

IBC Spill Sum
Important Key Points of the Assessment
- Storage period: When spills and leaks are not removed from the containment system within 24 hours, the legislator considers this as storage. Attention should also be paid to the regular loading of an area, even when a container leaves its storage position earlier than 24 hours but, for example, it is replaced by another container.
- Active and/or passive storage: We refer to active storage when in the storage facility, for example, also transferring and filling operations are performed. In this case, further requirements concerning the ventilation must be observed and exhaust systems must generally be taken into account.
- Joint storage prohibitions: Not all hazardous substances can be stored together. There is also the term "joint-separate-storage". In this case, parameters such as physically separated storage rooms or only separated containment sumps are to be evaluated.
- Product approvals: RAW spill containment sumps have the DiBT (Deutsches Institut für Bautechnik - German Institute for Construction Technology) approval. So they are compliant with regulatory requirements for the storage of water endangering substances according to §63 WHG (German Water Management Act).
- Warning: This does not apply to the Foldable Sumps; for these devices, due to their mobility when installed, there is no test standard.
- Determining the required capacity of the single spill sumps and spill containment systems: 10% of the total content stored is usually sufficient, or, better said, the content of the largest container stored on the sump has to be contained. When your company is situated in a water protection area or in a flood risk area - regulated in this case by the new AWSV (German regulation on installations handling water-hazardous substances) - 100% of the stored media have to be collected.
In combination with the needs of your company, we develop, taking already present transport devices and warehouse conditions into account, customized solutions for spill sumps of PE, spill sumps of steel, regardless of whether you store small containers, drums of different sizes or IBCs.
General Information
- § 63 WHG
- DIBt Certification
- Containment Capacity
- Construction
Spill containment sumps need a suitability assessment according to § 63 WHG (German Water Resources Act) when they are used stationary within a LAU plant (facilities for the storage, filling and handling of water endangering substances). This suitability assessment can be furnished for spill containment sumps within the scope of the Building Regulations of the German Federal States (Model WasBauPVO) in the form of a "Attestation of Conformity of the manufacturer after prior examination of the construction product on the part of a person/body recognized for this purpose" by a DIBt (German Institute for Construction Technology) certification.
RAW spill containment sumps are compliant with regulatory requirements for the storage of water endangering substances. They were tested accordingly and have the DIBt Deutsches Institut für Bautechnik (German Institute for Construction Technology) approval (issued to RAW).
DIBt approval - "allgemeine bauaufsichtliche Zulassung" (general technical approval) with Ü mark for spill containment sumps (exept for foldable containment sumps) (ÜHP Attestation of Conformity of the manufacturer after prior examination of the construction product on the part of a person/body recognized for this purpose).
For the storage of water endangering liquids the law imposes special requirements. For the containment capacity, the following provision applies:
A spill sump must have sufficient capacity to contain the volume of the largest container and in any case not less than 10% of the volume of the stored liquid. If the storage in water protection areas is allowed, 100% of the stored quantity must be contained.
RAW drum sump pallets are distinguished by a sturdy construction; besides this, they are made from 100% UV treated polyethylene of high quality and are therefore weatherproof, durable and completely stainless.
The grids can be removed for ease of cleaning. With integrated forklift pockets for easy transposing or transporting.




RAW PE Spill Containment Sumps
PE spill containment sumps of RAW are distinguished by a sturdy construction. The prerequisite to obtain a “Allgemeine bauaufsichtliche Zulassung” (general technical approval) with "Ü" mark is that successful load testing is carried out with at least 4 times the load imposed on the sumps.
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One of the most important features of PE spill containment sumps is their compatibility with aggressive media like, for example, acids or bases, so they can, among other things, be used where a conventional spill sump of steel is no longer adequate. UV resistant material and controlled, high-quality production ensure a long service life.
- Rotationally moulded sump body
- Designed for laying flat on the floor or with ground clearance or fitting base construction for internal transport with forklift or lift truck
- Bigger spill sumps with circumferential stabilizing ribs
- Bottom surfaces / grids of PE or galvanized steel
- A variety of different sizes
- Sump capacities from 15 litres (sump trays for storing small containers) to 220 litres (sumps for storing drums) up to 1.100 litres (spill sumps for IBC)
- Roofed stations for hazardous substances made of PE, incl. base sump tray, for being installed in outdoor locations
- Connectable floor safety elements with low profile suited for covering larger surfaces
- Mobile PE sumps for a safe internal transport
- Numerous accessories such as drum stands, drive-on ramps for sump flooring modular systems, cans for filling operations and devices for catching drips
Details-Variants
Spill Trays for Small Containers
RAW spill trays for small containers are especially designed to safely store oils, coolants and lubricants as well as containers with aggressive fluids such as acids and bases.
They are characterised by a high chemical compatibility and are resistant to most common and industrial chemicals.
They can be used as a decanting or dispensing station when working with water-polluting liquids. They can also be employed in areas where small parts are cleaned. They are also very suitable for a safe storage of batteries or for being used in combination with RAW Oil and Chemical Sorbents.

Spill tray, spill sump of synthetic material for small containers
Drum Sump Pallets
RAW drum sump pallets are especially designed to safely store oils, coolants and lubricants as well as containers with aggressive fluids such as acids and bases.
They are characterised by a high chemical compatibility and are resistant to most common and industrial chemicals. They can also be used as a decanting or dispensing station when working with water-polluting liquids.

IBC Sump Pallets
RAW IBC (Intermediate Bulk Container) sump pallets are especially designed to safely store bulk containers with oils, coolants and lubricants as well as aggressive fluids such as acids and bases.
They are characterised by a high chemical compatibility and are resistant to most common and industrial chemicals.
They can also be used as a decanting or dispensing station when working with water-polluting liquids.

Roofed Stations for Hazardous Substances
Roofed stations for hazardous substances made of PE, incl. base sump tray, for being installed in outdoor locations
Spill containment sumps to store water endangering and aggressive media in indoor and outdoor locations.
- Rotationally moulded body of black PE
- Circumferential stabilizing ribs
- Base construction enables transport
- Bottom surface available with galvanized or PE grid support
- Lockable double door

Mobile PE Spill Containment Sumps
Spill containment sumps for storing and transporting water hazardous and aggressive media
- Rotationally moulded sump body of black PE
- Circumferential stabilizing ribs
- Available with or without PE grid support
- PE construction with galvanized drawbar / steel pushbar
- With 3 swiveling and 2 fixed castors
- Max. load 200 kg / 500 kg
Connectable Floor Safety Elements with Low Profile
For storing water endangering and aggressive media in a safe way
- Rotationally moulded sump body of black PE
- Circumferential stabilizing ribs
- For placing flat on the floor
- Individual segments can be combined by galvanized sump connectors
- Very well suited for covering large-scale surfaces
- Bottom surface available with galvanized or PE grid support
- Max. load 1.000 kg/m2 with uniformly distributed weight
